From an early age growing up in Uzbekistan, Dan experienced racism, bullying, and misunderstanding by his peers. He was also raised by parents that did not know how to forgive those that hurt them, and this seemed wrong to Dan. In that environment however he grew desensitized to himself and others. By his teenage years he too forgot how to forgive.

However, in college during a fight with a friend over a girl they both liked, in a moment of pure anger and hatred towards someone else who had hurt him, Dan experienced something so powerful that it changed the rest of his life. His world view was flipped upside down forever.

Join us as we discuss Dan’s journey to healing and personally seeing the power of forgiveness firsthand.

-----------------------------------------------------------

For some, forgiving others can be one of the hardest and scariest things to overcome. The act of forgiving often feels unfair, like you are letting someone off the hook for whatever they have done. Or when forgiving someone for something exceptionally bad, it might even feel like you are erasing the memory of your pain.

Forgiving others, by it’s very nature, is unfair. It is something that takes personal self sacrifice and boldness. Boldness in the faith that God the Father sees all that is wrong in this world and will one day judge against it. Boldness in the faith that your pain will not go unnoticed. In the words of Jesus, who was also unfairly treated when he was nailed to a cross for wrongful charges, said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). It was not fair that they treated Jesus wrongfully, and it’s not ok when we’re treated wrongly.

And yet, Jesus asks us to forgive others because we ourselves have been forgiven. When Jesus was wrongly nailed to the cross He took our place of deserved judgment from God. We have all made mistakes, and how could we ever pay God back? By believing in Jesus’ death on the cross for our mistakes they are forgotten by God. It’s not fair, it’s forgiveness.